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The Week In Pictures #615 – Londolozi Blog

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Today, Friday 22nd September is World Rhino Day! And in celebration of these magnificent creatures we just want to shed some light on the incredible people putting their lives on the line to protect these rhinos. By now, you may have heard about the incredible Rhino Guardians, a force dedicated to safeguarding the future of rhinos. The Tracker Academy, in collaboration with Londolozi, is training specialised trackers on a mission to protect these animals from extinction.⁠ With rhino populations dwindling at an alarming rate, these expert trackers are the beacon of hope. They bring ancient African tracking skills and combat training to the forefront of wildlife conservation.

This Week In Pictures has held some exciting sightings with a variety of animals and birds being seen across the reserve. With the warmth of the African Summer upon us, we have seen most animals seeking out water to cool off or quench their thirst. A few nights ago we received our first and somewhat unpredicted sprinkle of rain which is sure to kick off the summer season and trigger the transformation into hues of green. The highlight was probably having two different packs of wild dogs on Londolozi simultaneously. Wild dogs are always exciting and so this was a real treat. On the lion front, an awesome portrait of the Skorro Breakaway Male starts this week off and we close out with the stunning Tsalala Female. Two lone lions that hopefully will unite and well maybe sire the next generation of the Tsalala Pride.  The large herd of buffalo which has now been split into various groups has been seen scattered throughout the reserve. The leopard viewing has been nothing short of spectacular with many different individuals being found. The two young male leopards who are still in their mothers’ territories, namely the Ntomi Male and the Three Rivers Young Male, have been seen regularly. The Nkuwa Female and her two cubs have been popping up fairly frequently too, with both youngsters appearing to be males. The Ndzanzeni Female who is now 13 years old is still been seen in her territory and the Nkoveni Female has been patrolling around her territory calling in search of a male to mate with since the recent loss of her last litter. The approaching summer invites the migratory birds back which comes with it some exciting photographic opportunities. Enjoy This Week In Pictures…

Krj Skorro Male Jnr

The Skorro Breakaway Male remains alert as he can hear the distance roars of presumably the Plains Camp Males in the distance. Being on his own and surrounded by the Plains Camp Males to the west, the Ntsevu Breakaways to the south, and the Ndzhenga Males to his east the Skorro Breakaway Male has a tricky road ahead of him. With no pride in this area, it seems this male is avoiding any conflict with the surrounding coalitions.

Krj Nkoveni Walking Night

The Nkoveni Female who has recently lost her cubs has been calling relentlessly in search of a male to mate with. After the sun had set she walked towards us with a long shadow cast behind her.

Krj Wild Dog Pups

Two of the 19 wild dog pups rest in the shade of a tree to escape the heat of the day.

Krj Oxpeckers

A fling of Oxpeckers. I have never seen so many Yellow-billed Oxpeckers on a single buffalo before. With hundreds of buffalos carrying ticks and parasites, the Oxpeckers had a feast to choose from.

Krj Xinzele In Jackalberry

The Xinzele Female has been seen a few times in our northern parts of the reserve. After playing with her daughter in the Manyelethi Riverbed, they were chased off by a  herd of buffalo. The Xinzele Female climbed a nearby jackalberry tree and the Xinzele Young female ran off into the safety of a tamboti thicket.



A small female often found in NW Marthly. Similar spot pattern to her mother the Ingrid Dam Female.



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Krj Liliac Brested Roller Back

The exquisite colours of the Liliac-breasted Roller were illuminated as it flew off from its perch away from the setting sun. I find it captivating watching this bird fly as the flashes of blue and aqua light up the scene.

Krj Rhino Foot

This male had been mud bathing in a nearby wallow before he set off on a territorial patrol. The white sand from the road stuck to his feet as he wandered off into the thickets.

Krj Ntomi Male Portrait Bw

With the morning cloud cover and minimal shadows cast, the Ntomi male climbed on a fallen marula at eye level to us. The sudden movement of distance waterbuck captured his attention as he looked beyond our vehicle.



A single cub of the Ximungwe Female’s second litter. Initially rather skittish but is very relaxed now. Birth mark in his left eye.



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Krj Waterbuck

A male waterbuck stands alert as the rest of his herd lies in the open and rests in the morning sun that had just broken through the clouds.

Krj Ntomi Male Portrait

After the waterbuck moved off, the Ntomi Male repositioned himself on the fallen marula tree and watched them from a distance. Although a waterbuck is too big for him to catch the inquisitive nature of this young leopard kept him staring at the waterbuck for a while.

Krj Kudu

A young female kudu scans her surroundings before sunset.

Krj Three Rivers Young Male Zebra Foul

After seeing many vultures perched in an area not too far from where the Three Rivers Young Male and Xinkhova Female were, we were surprised to find the carcass of an adult zebra that appeared to have died of natural causes as there were no obvious signs of a predator. After some time the Xinkhova Female and Three River Young Male came across and found the carcass. The Xinkhova Female then also found a foal carcass nearby. The larger Three Rivers Young Male chased the Xinkhova Female off the zebra foal and dragged it towards a tree to hoist it in before nightfall.

Krj Spots And Stripes Contrast

Spots and Stripes. There is an unusual contrast between the spots from the Three Rivers Young Male and the stripes of the zebra foal.



This female is a success story all in herself, being born as a single cub to the Riverbank 3:3 female in early 2012.



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Krj Ndzazeni Drinking

At the end of a long warm summer’s day, the Nzanzeni Female hydrates ahead of an evening of activity.

Krj Wild Dog Stare

A younger wild dog from the Toulon pack looks toward some of the others grooming themselves before heading off on a hunt.



One of two sisters born to the Nhlanguleni Female, both of whom made it to independence, the first intact litter to do so in 7 years.



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Krj Elephants Finfoot

A small breeeding herd of elephants crosses the Sand River after standing in the water to cool off. The one female turned to face us as the rest of the herd walked past her.

Krj Nstevu Cubs

One of the cubs from the Ntsevu Pride soaks up the morning sun

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Kirst Joscelyne

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